The disclosure relates to dispensing of frozen confectionary products such as soft-serve ice cream, ice milk, frozen yogurt, artificial substitutes therefor, and the like. More particularly, the disclosure relates to dispensing valves for dispensers of such product.
Frozen confection dispensing systems are commonly used in the food service industry. An exemplary system configuration comprises a cabinet containing a mixing vessel (e.g., hopper) for mixing the confection. From the mixing vessel, the confection passes to a freezing vessel (e.g., a freezing cylinder). An air pump may add air to the mix. A refrigeration system may refrigerate the confection in the mixing hopper and freeze the confection in the freezing cylinder (cooled to a frozen or semi-frozen state).
The cabinet may contain one or more stages of pumps for driving the confection from the vessel to a delivery head/valve assembly. An exemplary pump is positioned between the mixing upper and freezing cylinder, with a rotary action of the freezing cylinder acting as a further pump. An exemplary valve assembly is mounted on the front of the cabinet. The valve assembly typically has a downward-facing outlet for discharging the confection into a bowl, cup, cone, or the like. The valve may be manually-actuated (e.g., via a lever pivotable upward or downward about a transverse hinge axis from an off condition to a dispensing condition).
Variations include electrically-controlled valves. Other variations include multi-flavor cabinets which may utilize separate valves/outlets for each flavor or which may have a selectorized valve system for alternative (and/or mixed) feeding of each flavor to a common outlet.